Mindcrime
by Exangellion
Summary: A crossover of Queensryche's concept album Operation Mindcrime, and The Last Of Us. When a heroin junkie (Joel) gets himself involved with a revolutionary group, he becomes their assassin, killing political and religious leaders. But when he gets involved with a Stripper-turned-nun (Ellie), he begins to question what he is doing.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Joel sat on the recliner in the living room of his one bedroom apartment and scratched gently at the track marks on his arm. As he sat, Joel tried to think of what he had done that day. He remembered waking up, eating breakfast (a few pieces of burnt toast and jelly), and then heading out to get his fix of heroin. That had been exactly what he planned on doing...but then he had seen the crowd at the park. The park _had_ been an empty dirt lot, until the city decided that it would look better if they had grass laid out. It had been the place where bands had gone to play plenty of times-Joel had even gone to a few of the concerts there.

But it what had struck Joel as odd was the contrast between the man standing on the small, hastily built stage and the crowd of people listening to him. The man had been dressed in an expensive, three-piece suit. The crowd looked like a bunch of lower class citizens, the kind that had never even worn a suit in their lives, and hated the people who _could_ afford one.

Joel had had every intention of just walking by; ignoring the man on the stage and the crowd of people. But when he had tried to go on his way, he had found that he was too intrigued to just walk away. For a moment he had stood there on the sidewalk and watching before looking both ways and crossing the street. He had stood on the outer edge of the crowd and listened to the man on the stage, trying to listen to what he was saying.

"Do we have freedom?" The man on the stage cried out. The crowd cried out "No!" Joel listened intently, trying to hear every word. He didn't know why he wanted to hear what the man had to say so bad, but he couldn't pull himself away.

"Do we have equality?" The man cried.

"No!" The crowd cried back.

"America is no longer the country for every man, it is a country for _some _men-rich men." The crowd roared. "Our government is corrupt! The rich control it, money is the sole goal for almost every man out there. To those people, it doesn't matter who is hurt, they only care about the money they are able to gain!" Once again the crowd roared. Joel had only listened, trying to figure out why he was so interested in that revolutionist bullcrap.

"I am tired of always hearing about the foreign countries and their plans against America. I'm tired of the corrupt government officials! If we want to make a change, we're going to have to fight for it!" The roar of the crowd was tremendous.

Joel had decided to not go and get the heroin. He had decided to stay and listen the rest of the man's speech. He even got in on the cheering at one point. Before Joel had realized it, hours had passed. The speech had carried on, and on, and on. Joel looked at the watch given to him by his daughter, Sarah, who was away for college. It was almost two in the afternoon.

Joel had been about to go, when he had made eye contact with the man on the stage. Joel had been captivated. The man's eyes had had a yellow tint to them; like the eyes of a reptile. The man had motioned for Joel to wait a moment. Joel waited.

"Good evening." The man had said, shaking Joel's hand. A shiver had run down Joel's spine. The man's hand had been icy cold. " Olivier-my friends call me Dr.X"

"Joel." Dr.X had gently released Joel's hand, and to Joel's surprise, leaned in. For a moment he had thought the suited man was about to kiss him. Instead he'd brought his lips within inches of Joel's ear and whispered something in his ear. Joel hadn't been able to catch it. But he suddenly felt numb; he felt like a doll.

"Why don't you give me your number?" Dr.X asked. "You could get involved with our cause." From his pocket, Dr.X produced his cellphone. Without even thinking, Joel had recited his phone number; he didn't even blink while doing it. Dr.X programmed the number into his phone. "I'll be calling soon. Why don't you head home? Wait for me to give you a ring?" Again, Joel had been done as he was told without thinking twice.

* * *

Now Joel sat in his living room, scratching at the track marks and thinking about the man-Dr.X. What had possessed him to even do that? Was he honestly waiting for sone old man in a suit to call him? Someone he had only met a couple of hours ago? These thoughts had just passed through his head when his phone rang.

It it had to be Sarah. She had promised to call him once a week when she'd left for college, and had stayed true to that promise. Without even looking at the caller ID, Joel pulled his cellphone from his front pocket and answered it.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end was the voice of Dr.X. He had whispered something on the other end that Joel hadn't caught, but whatever he had said filled Joel with a kind of dread that he couldn't understand. Acting out of a kind of instinct, Joel hung up his phone and dropped it onto his lap. He stared at it as if it had just grown legs and started walking. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. Why had he even reacted like that? It didn't make any sense to him.

His phone began to ring again. He stared at it. Should he answer it? Joel had a strong feeling that answering it would be a bad idea. But suddenly, he felt numb again, it was almost like the time when he had tried PCP. Joel picked up his cellphone and answered the call before putting it to his ear.

"There's a warehouse out by the docks. Furthest one from the water. Be there in an hour, my people will be waiting for you." Then Dr.X hung up.

Joel stared at his phone for awhile. He still felt numb. With a grunt, Joel stood and grabbed his tan colored jacket. He pulled it on and slipped into his boots before walking over to the door. He would go down to the warehouse, see what Dr.X's cause was. Hell, he might even be somewhat interested.

* * *

**AN: Well, there you have it: the first chapter of Mindcrime. What did you think? Do you like junkie Joel? Is he making a mistake by listening to Dr.X? Also, quick note: the only TLOU characters that will be directly involved will be Joel, Ellie, Tommy and Sarah. And Tommy and Sarah aren't going to have very big roles in this at all. Bur that's all I've got to say for now. Stay tuned to find out what happens to junkie Joel.**

**~Exangellion**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2:

Joel still felt numb when he reached the warehouse. He stared at it and considered it. It was extremely nondescript, Joel figured it would be a pretty good place to hide if you ever had the cops on your ass. Joel looked behind him and left and right. He couldn't see anybody else. He took a deep breath and walked ever closer to the warehouse.

When he reached one of the loading bay doors, he stopped. He was feeling that uneasiness; the kind he had felt back at his apartment. What was he even doing there? He was taking orders from some guy who he had met that very day. Joel started to turn around; head the other way. But as he was beginning to move, the bay door open. Joel stopped and looked back at it. Standing there was a man dressed in jeans and a tight muscle shirt.

"Doc saw ya' standing out here from his window. Told me to come and get ya'." He motioned for Joel to follow, and he began to move. Hesitently, Joel followed.

* * *

"Name's Tim, by the way. X already told me yours is Joel." Joel nodded his head. "What else did he tell you?" Joel hadn't meant to sound so harsh when he said it. "Well, said you're a heroin addict." Joel tensed. Tim looked back and saw this.

"Hey man, it's cool. You're gonna' fit right in. Most of us are social outcasts-losers, junkies, you name it. It's fine." Joel didn't relax, just followed Tim through the warehouse. They went through the main room. It was filled with tons and tons of people milling around, talking and having a good time. Joel could easilly smell marijuana.

They went up a large staircase to the second floor and began down a long hallway. Tim stopped by the last door on the left. "Alright, this is it." He said to Joel. "X's office is in there." Joel looked at the door and swallowed. Now that he was actually here he felt uneasy. He felt vulnerable and exposed. Tim only looked at Joel a moment more before walking back down the hall and disappearing down the stairs.

Joel took a deep breath. He tried to relax and keep calm. Before he could loose his nerve, Joel reached out and pushed the door open. Dr.X stood in his office by his desk. He was still in the suit he had been wearing at the rally. When Dr.X caught sight of Joel, he smiled and motioned to the chair on Joel's side of the desk.

"Have a seat Joel." He said, taking a seat himself. Joel walked over to the chair and sat down carefully. He looked around the office. He had expected something a little more...extravagant. But the office was empty except for the desk and the chairs. Joel looked back at Dr.X and waited.

"Alright Joel, here is how this is going to work." He stopped speaking and opened a drawer and produced two things: a hypodermic needle and a bottle of morphine. "I can not give you heroin-I don't have any contacts who can get me that. But as you know, heroin is actually a very _inactive _drug on it's own. when it is injected into the bloodstream, it converts into morphine, so this should suit you just fine." Joel looked at the bottle of morphine and licked his lips. He hadn't gotten his fix in almost a week and was beginning to feel the beginnings of withdrawal.

"What's the catch?" Joel asked. He knew it couldn't be that easy. It never was. Dr.X smiled. "A bright one, you are. But I'm glad you asked." Dr.X opened another drawer and set a pistol on the table. Joel just stared at it. He wasn't sure exactly what kind it was, he never had been all that educated with weapons.

"You can have the first fix free-a sample of sorts. After that, I want you to go on home, and take the gun with you." Dr.X slid the gun across to Joel.

At first, all Joel did was stare at the thing. He was beginning to realize what Dr.X wanted from him, and he wasn't sure if he liked it. But then his eyes moved to the bottle of morphine. He needed his fix badly. Joel took a deep breath and picked up the pistol. He held it in his hands and studied it for just a moment. He carefully set it on his lap and motioned to the morphine. "So-" Dr.X held up a hand.

"Just go home and wait by the phone. You can take the morphine with you, I don't want you lit in my office." Joel nodded his head and stood. He shoved the pistol into his back waistband after making sure the safety was on. He watched Dr.X for a moment before reaching out and picking up the bottle and hypo. He nodded his head and headed out the door.

* * *

Joel felt as if he were floating on a cloud, high in the sky. He felt as if he were flying through the air. He thought he could hear music playing even though he didn't have his radio or TV on. He felt happy and well.

He sat in his recline. Once again, staring up at the ceiling. His cellphone sat on the side table. He had waited after his 'meeting' with Dr.X, deciding it wouldn't be a good idea to take the drugs so early. It was now the day after, and Joel was as high as a kite.

Joel was so lost in the power the drugs had over him that he didn't even realize the phone was ringing until it was almost too late to pick it up. Joel fumbled with it for a moment before actually answer it.

"...H-hello?" And there it was. The voice of Dr.X whispering that word that Joel just couldn't hear for the life of him. He suddenly didn't feel as high as he had been a moment ago. And there was that numb feeling again. "Joel, good to see that you are still around. Do you still have the gun?" Joel looked at the side table, where the pistol sat. "Yeah."

"Good. Now, there is someone I need you to take care of. His name is Jimmy Blaire; I'm sure you've heard of him." Joel nodded and said; "Yeah. The guy lookin' to be governor."

"You are absolutely correct Joel. Now, listen. He is staying down at the Savanna, the hotel on South Paris." Joel knew the place. His brother Tommy stayed down there whenever he came to town. "If you could make sure Mr. Blaire will have some...trouble getting elected, you will be rewarded most handsomely." Joel knew that meant the morphine. And all he had to do was...kill Jimmy Blaire. Joel told Dr.X he would take care of it, and then thought of something else.

"How long will it take to get the morphine?" Dr.X chuckled.

"I am sorry for the inconvenience, but it will take a few days. I am trying to find someone reliable to bring you the drugs." Joel sighed. But no matter how much he wanted to complain, he knew he would do it for the drugs. He figured he would do just about anything for them.

"I'll get it done."

* * *

**AN: Well, it looks like junkie Joel is about to become a murderer...for morphine (and that is why you don't get hooked on drugs). Well what do you think? Is junkie Joel going to go through with it? Who is going to be the one who brings him his fix? We'll find that out next time.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3:

Jimmy Blaire walked quietly down the street, his hands in the pockets of his slacks. He had made a speech earlier that day and was now on a walk, reveling in the fact that he was most likely up in the polls. There was a good chance that he would be governor soon enough. Jimmy turned the corner and saw the sign for the Savanna hotel. Jimmy headed there. All the while he had no idea that someone was following him closely.

When Jimmy reached his hotel room on the second floor, he quickly removed the key from his pocket and opened the door. He stepped inside and swung the door closed behind him before unbuttoning his suit coat and loosening his tie. It took him a few more seconds to realize that the door hadn't closed behind him. Jimmy turned around and looked at the door. He stopped when he saw the man standing in the doorway. Jimmy didn't miss the glint of a pistol in his hand.

The man stepped into Jimmy's hotel room and shut the door behind him. Jimmy swallowed. Jimmy tried to speak, but his voice caught in his throat when the man trained his gun on him. "H-hey buddy...you don't want to-" Jimmy was cut off as the man stepped forward and slammed the butt of the pistol into his forehead. He crumpled to the floor and gripped his forehead. The skin had been broken and Jimmy felt the blood ooze between his fingers.

The man kept the gun trained on Jimmy as he slowly moved over to the TV, flicked it on and turned the volume up as loud as it would go. He walked back over to Jimmy, crouched and placed the barrel of the pistol against his wounded forehead. Jimmy shook and trembled with fear.

The man tightened his grip on the pistol and curled his finger over the trigger. He took a deep breath. The last thing Jimmy Blaire saw was the man staring down at him with cold, dead eyes. The gunshot rang loudly, barely mufled by the sound of the TV.

* * *

Joel swallowed and stared at Jimmy Blaire's cold and lifeless body. He let his eyes drift to his own clothes. They were stained crimson. He sighed and walked over to the TV. He switched it off before walking back to the door and stepping out into the hallway. He picked up the trash bag he had left sitting out there. He shut the door again and changed into the clean clothes he had brought with him. He shoved the bloody ones into the trash bag and left the hotel.

Joel walked down to the docks and pitched the trash bag filled with stained clothes into the water. Once he was sure it wouldn't come floating back up, he looked down at his boots. Joel pulled them off and tossed them into the water as well before jogging from the pier. He would go back to his apartment and give Dr.X a call.

* * *

Joel held his cellphone to his ear and waited. It only took a few rings before Dr.X answered, sounding pleased. "Joel, I didn't expect you to call so soon."

"Just figured I oughta tell you I took care of...things." There was a chuckle on the other end of the line. "Good, good. And don't you worry; someone will be there in a few days with your 'medicine'." Joel thanked him. And then he remembered the way Jimmy Blaire's blood had splashed all over him, the way his head had slammed back against the wall and the way he had trembled before Joel had shot him. He suddenly didn't want to do this anymore.

"Hey, Doc...look I don't think I'm up for this. I mean...I-"

"Don't you worry Joel. You are. Your medicine will be there in a few days." And he had hung up.

* * *

Dr.X hung the phone up and looked at Tim, sitting on the other side of his desk. "He gettin' second thoughts?" Dr.X nodded his head. "He just doesn't believe what he is doing is right." He scratched at his beard for a moment. It took several minutes, but his face eventually lit up with an idea.

"Do we still have the priest's number?" Tim thought about it for a moment and nodded his head. "Yeah, yeah I think so." He reached the same conclusion Dr.X had. A grin split his face.

"We find someone religious who can bring him the drugs, they can 'wash away his sins' too." Dr.X nodded. "Get me his number. I think I'm going to pay him a visit."

* * *

"Bless me father for I have sinned." Father William stared at Ellie where she sat on the pew. He looked around the church, it was empty. William rarely saw people come in anymore. Ellie was one of the very few who did. And he was grateful; he had never seen a better piece of ass.

"When are you going to quit this, Ellie? If you did you wouldn't have to embarrass and degrade yourself in front of God." Ellie nodded her head, her eyes staring at her shoes. "I know, but I need the money."

"There are alternatives to being a stripper." William let his eyes look her up and down. She looked so exquisite, even right now, dressed in a white tanktop and blue jeans. He couldn't wait too much longer for the "services" he was to get. William gently lifted her chin up and stared into her eyes. She didn't resist as he leaned in close, she never did. Their lips were inches apart when the phone in the back began to ring loudly. William huffed, he stared at Ellie for just a moment before holding up one finger and walking towards the back. He would give whoever had called a piece of his mind.

He picked up the phone, and in a harsh voice he said; "Hello?" The voice that spoke on the other end chilled father William to the bone and he suddenly regretted sounded so harsh. "Hello father." William swallowed thickly. He didn't like how pleasant his voice was. "H...hey X. What's the word?" There was a chuckle.

"If I didn't know any better father, I would say you sound nervous." He dabbed at the sweat that was popping up on his forehead. "Sorry, guess I'm just having an off day." They talked for a few moments before Dr.X decided to get right down to business. "I would hate to intrude but, I need to ask you a question or two." William swallowed again. "Yeah, sure. Anything." There was a moment of silence. "Do you know of anyone who would be willing to help me with a little...business." He felt his eyes shoot towards the door that led out to the alter. He would've liked to have had some alone time with Ellie but...he didn't want to be on Dr.X's bad side. That was never good for one's health.

"Yeah...yeah I do as a matter of fact." He said, his voice suddenly calm. When Dr.X spoke again, he could practically hear the smile in the man's voice. "Good, good. An associate of mine and I will be there shortly." Then he hung up. William sighed and gently set the phone back on the hook. He walked back out to the pews and stepped over to Ellie. "It looks like _we_ aren't going to be doing business today. But I need you to wait here with me." Ellie's brows furrowed. "Wait for what?"

"A friend of mine that would like to meet you." Was all he said before heading over to the back room again. Ellie did not leave.

* * *

Ellie looked back towards the church's front doors when they opened, permitting two men inside. At the sound, father William came out of the back room and greeted the first man (Ellie guessed that he was somewhere in his early fifties). They shared a brief hug before the older guy introduced William to the other, a man who looked like he would love to murder you in your sleep. The three men spoke to each other for a few minutes. Then the older looking one moved away from them and stepped over to Ellie. He held out one hand, which Ellie gingerly shook.

"It is good to meet you." the man said. He leaned against the pew in front of Ellie and folded his arms over his chest. Ellie took a moment to look him up and down. He was dressed in a fairly expensive suit, she wondered what he was doing out on this side of town. "My name is Xavier, by the way. The title Dr.X would be _much_ more preferable however." Ellie nodded her head and opened her mouth to introduce herself. But Dr.X held up a hand before refolding his arms. "The father told me you were Ellie."

She felt her brows furrow and a shiver ran through her. She did not like him at all. "How well does your current...employment pay you?" Dr.X's question took Ellie by surprise. "Excuse me?"

"It doesn't pay very well. I would assume being a stripper isn't the most gratifying thing." Despite herself, Ellie felt heat rise up in her cheeks. Dr.X chuckled. "How would you like to have a better paycheck?" He asked. Ellie quirked an eyebrow. "...What would I be doing?" A chuckle from Dr.X. "You would be a courier of sorts. Bringing medicine to an employee of mine."

"What kind of medecine?"

"Morphine." Ellie's brows shot up. She wasn't sure how to take how up front he was being. But the thought of carrying that kind of drug around for some old creep she'd just met was definitely out of the question. She didn't feel like getting hauled in by the fuzz. Ellie shook her head. "Sorry, I'm gonna' have to say no to your offer." Dr.X looked over to Tim. "Could you and father William give me a moment with Ellie here?" Tim nodded and led William to the back room. Ellie felt a small amount of fear settle in her stomach. Dr.X smiled kindly at her.

"Let me tell you a little something Ellie."

* * *

Tim and father William looked up when Dr.X entered the back room. "It done?" Tim asked, sounding impatient. Dr.X smiled and nodded his head. He looked at the watch on his right wrist. "It took a little over an hour, but I believe she has been successfully brainwashed. She has a strong mind. But not strong enough, it seems." Tim nodded his head. "So, we bringing her over to Joel now?" Dr.X shook his head.

"No, I told him it would be a few days. We might as well give it some time. Today is..." Dr.X pulled his cellphone from his suit pants pocket. "Wednesday. On friday I will take her to Joel myself." Tim nodded his head. "I'll go get the car started." He said as he moved past Dr.X and began for the front door. Dr.X turned to William.

"Do you have room for anyone here?" William nodded. "I stay in the loft upstairs. I can spare some room." Dr.X clapped him on the back. "Good. She will be a nun-one of the sisters here."

"The only sister." Dr.X nodded his head. "Whenever I need her, she will come. It will depend on how many people my man, Joel, kills." William nodded. "I guess I'll be seeing you later." Dr.X smiles before leaving. William watched him go before turning to Ellie. He was surprised by the cold, numb look in her eyes.

* * *

**AN: Well, now it seems that Ellie is underneath Dr.X's control. It also seems that she will be the one to bring Joel his fix. We'll see how well this little plan of the doc's turns out next time. See y'all later.**

**~Exangellion**


End file.
